Thank you to NetGalley, John Mark Comer, and the publisher for the advanced copy in order to review. All opinions are my own.

I was looking forward to this book, and I’m so thankful that it was written. It was exactly what I needed to read, and every Christian should read it. It was ways to read but very challenging. I will recommend it to everyone, and it will be one I end up reading again!

The book Christians are desperate for:

I truly believe that Comer is one of the most influential pastors of our time. In this book he offers us the thing that many modern churches dance around, but aren’t able to articulate: practical ways to be a disciple of Jesus (beyond just reading your Bible and praying). In his approachable, down-to-earth style full of practical examples, biblical backing, and psychology, Comer challenges the believer to be more than a nominal Christian, but to be all in. And he doesn’t just say “hey you need to do more for Jesus,” he shows us how. The first half of the book is a strong argument for owning your faith and actually challenging yourself to be like Jesus and the second half is the beginnings of how to make that happen. Far from being prescriptive, Comer is clear that there’s no one size fits all to discipleship. I also appreciate that, though he’s an introvert, he doesn’t give that as an excuse to shy away from more typical extroverted aspects of discipleship like community, witness, and service. I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s serious about making their faith their own. I think if taken seriously, the principles laid out in this book can help us be more mature believers. I personally plan to do the accompanying study with a group of young adults from my church.

*thank you WaterBrook & Multnomah for the ARC of this book*

Thank you NetGalley and WaterBrook Multnomah for the ARC. Five stars all around. This was the perfect read to start the New Year with. It revitalized my spirit and soul. Comer’s words are incredibly impactful, inspirational, and, if you allow them, life changing.

The book, as observed from the title, “Practicing the Way,” is about becoming disciples under Jesus via love, practice, surrender, faithfulness, and more. Jesus will meet us where we’re at — we just have to show up each day.

A well-written and thoroughly researched book; one that I will absolutely be sharing with friends and family.

Pub date: January 16, 2024

As usual, a stunningly well-written book from John Mark Comer! I definitely recommend "Practicing the Way" as a great gift for someone who wants to deepen their relationship with the Lord in a practical way and really understand why. Comer's humorous writing style and relatability is unmatched in the Christian "self"-help genre of this decade at least and is sure to teach even the most studious scholar something new!

We are all disciples; the question is what are we disciples of?

“If we’re not being intentionally formed by Jesus himself, then it’s highly likely we are being unintentionally formed by someone or something else.”

As always, John Mark Comer's writing is engaging and easy to digest. He presents scripture in a way that is thought-provoking, with context to bring it to life more than I've ever experienced.

This feels like a culmination of all his past books, presented in a way that is practical and helps you consider rhythms for your own life. Because of that, it's much more dense and requires a lot of reflection as you read.

Overall, a really great read – one I will be purchasing and revisiting often!

Thank you WaterBrook Multnomah and NetGalley for the e-arc!

(update 1.10.24) (Sadly, I am removing another star due to this book's pre-order campaign. I explain more at the very bottom.)

Thank you, Waterbrook/Multnomah and NetGalley, for an advance copy of this book. I’ve tried to give honest feedback here.

—(likes)—

I loved Comer’s “Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.” I bought the audiobook, then the hardback to dig in deeper. I’ve also enjoyed listening to many of his sermons on the “Practicing the Way” podcast. I haven’t read “Live No Lies,” but this new book, “Practicing the Way,” sounded helpful and practical to me.

I feel like the book is challenging us (in an inviting way) to “apprentice” under Jesus, to become like Him. The idea that we could become like Jesus (and do what he did) is quite radical. I love it. And I love that Comer has his own experience (and that of others) to back it up.

The book has so many thought-provoking lines. I have multi-colored highlights on almost every page, plus many little notes (Kindle: +1!). Just one early example (of dozens): “The question is not, Am I becoming a person? It’s, Who or what am I becoming?” Ooh.

Besides many thought-provoking lines, there’s an abundance of practical advice. Especially if you include all the free resources online at the “Practicing the Way” website.

So, this book is an easy 5 stars, right? I wish. I really do. It was a gift, for [someone’s] sake!

—(dislikes)—

My only qualm with the book is the use of “Rule of Life.” Not the concept, but the actual phrase. I wish another phrase were used instead.

That seems pretty minor, right? I’d agree, but this book is all about renaming things. Comer relabels a lot: Instead of “disciple,” it’s “apprentice.” Instead of “Christianity,” it’s “the Way.” (Not even “the way of Jesus.”) Instead of “teacher,” it’s “rabbi.” Instead of “spiritual disciplines,” it’s “practices.” And those are headline changes: He uses his relabels in the title, chapter titles, main headings, etc. So in this book, it’s kind of a big deal.

And really, I’m fine with all those changes. It’s like “The Message” version of the Bible: another way to look at something. Perhaps easier for some to understand. And the intention is to make it easier for people to digest, to remove legalistic stumbling blocks.

And that’s my problem with “Rule of Life,” which I’d actually heard of before. If it’s new to you, let’s start with a dictionary definition of “rule”:

1) one of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a particular activity or sphere. (“the rules of the game were understood”)
2) a principle that operates within a particular sphere of knowledge, describing or prescribing what is possible or allowable. (“the rules of grammar”)
3) a code of practice and discipline for a religious order or community (“the Rule of St. Benedict”)

Guess which one the book means? Yes, #3. That might be fine, except think about trying to explain a “Rule of Life” to a stranger over coffee. When people hear “rule,” what percent of people think of definition 3? Zero percent. Worse, if we think of definition 1 or 2, do we get an appropriate sense of "Rule of Life," or a distorted sense? Distorted.

Using “Rule of Life” is just confusing. It’s a barrier to understanding. It feels like intellectual or historical elitism. It gets in the way and gives me pause when I think about learning more or developing my own, whether alone or in community.

Comer tries to explain/defend its use, but I call foul. No one uses “rule” that way these days, so why use it? If you were to invent something like the rule of life today, would you call it a rule? No, you’d pick a word that people can grasp without needing to rethink it each time in their head. Besides, “rule” can be triggering/offputting for some who think this will be a list of “rules.”

Comer tries to make clear it’s “rule” (definition 3) by capitalizing it, like “That’s what a Rule is.” Except how does that work in the audiobook? Or conversation? And what if we’re thinking of “The Golden Rule,” which is also capitalized?

Comer also mentions a “Rule” is not a list of rules, but rather practices/relationships/commitments. But if I see “Rule of Life” at the top of a list of items, it’s subconsciously going to make me think of rules (definition 1 or 2). I feel even Comer trips over this when he talks about a “rule” he and his wife have. If he at least never used “Rule” (definition 3), there’d be less confusion.

“Rule of Life” is ancient language, as even Comer acknowledges. He should borrow from “The Message” and lovingly use an alternative. He even mentions some, like trellis, map, anchor, path. “Trellis” is a good start. Think of a tomato trellis or tomato cage: It gives a helpful image. And even if someone thinks of a cage as bad, any gardener (or person who sees an image of a tomato cage) will realize the cage doesn’t trap the tomatoes in, but helps free them to their full potential.

Or just ask ChatGPT. I spent less than 1 minute and got “Life Trellis,” “Trellis of Being,” “Spiritual Trellis,” “Trellis of Wisdom.” Imagine what 5 minutes would yield!

And again, “Rule of Life” is plastered everywhere. It’s a key part of a chapter title, just like “apprentice.” It’s mentioned probably a hundred times in the book. One could argue it’s the thrust and point and hope of the book, with the end of the book including a full “Rule of Life” followed immediately by a link to their “Rule of Life Builder” website, then at the very very end, a mention of the “Rule of Life” podcast.

In summary for the dislikes, don’t choose a term that is a) easily confused because of overlapping-but-distinct definitions, b) where the definition you intend is not actually used by anyone you want to reach (heaven forbid someone with ESL), c) where the word could be offputting to some, d) not in the Bible but rather in the 6th century as your primary use case, e) not a metaphor/image.

Rather, pick a word/phrase a) where the common definition fits, b) where it’s not a common trigger, c) helpful metaphor/image, etc. “Life Trellis” or even “Tomato Trellis of Life” at least are helpful and can stand a bit on their own.

I honestly wish I could use the Kindle app to change every use of “Rule” to “Tomato Trellis.” Then, I’d give the book 5 stars.

(update 1.10.24)
First off, again the overall content of the book I liked. It made me think, at least, as demonstrated by dozens of multi-color highlights and notes while reading via the Kindle app. So one can "mine" the book for lots of ideas on becoming a better Christian/disciple/apprentice. No book will be perfect. Some might even have things we disagree with. Take the good and ignore the bad?

But anyway, I realized something about the pre-order campaign for this book really bugs me. The crux is that if you preorder the book, you exclusively get "How to Spend A Day with Jesus" free. I dug thru some official emails:

"Once the book is officially released, this exclusive preorder content will no longer be accessible."

"Order Practicing the Way this week and you'll still get a free copy of How to Spend A Day with Jesus — originally an appendix, we turned it into a free-standing companion, but four days from now it will disappear into the vault forever. (Okay, there is no vault, but this is your last chance.)"

I haven't read this "digital companion," and in general I'm really not fond of Kickstarter-esque exclusives. But let's imagine a similar made-up example:

1) "Hey, this is Jesus. My friend Matthew has this new book coming out, with a bunch of my teachings in it. It's great. Preorder now, and I'll give you a free bonus. I gave a sermon a while back—some call it the "Sermon on the —super helpful stuff. We were going to include it in chapter 5 (i.e. for free), but instead, we've made it a free bonus … if you preorder. If you wait until the release date, it'll be gone. It will no longer be accessible. If your friends find out too late about this, tough luck. If they aren't even born yet, tough luck. But hey, I love y'all."

It would be different if it was just JM sharing cute pics of his kids or "a funny thing happened to me on the way to the coffee shop," like just funny anecdotes.

But it's not. It's literally called, "How to Spend a Day with Jesus." That sounds important. (And if not important, then it's a tease/clickbait, which isn't helping.) And you know what? JM would probably not lock the cute pics behind a time/pay/preorder wall, because who doesn't want to share cute pics of their kids, or a funny story that happened to them? How much more should he want to share "How to spend a day with Jesus"?!

Pre-order bonus? Fine. But why in Jesus' name would you have info on how to spend a day with *Him* and declare that "act now or miss out … forever!" Especially from the guy who wrote "ruthlessly eliminate hurry." Isn't this FOMO? What happened to the fruit of patience, like maybe I've got a stack of books to read, or I want to see a few more reviews come in? Isn't he supposed to be more loving/patient/kind/generous/etc. than the rest of us because he's been practicing the practices for years? It makes me question the heart underlying the whole book.

Now maybe it's not JM but the publisher or who knows. But JM put his name to the emails, so I'm going with that.

John Mark Comer does an amazing job bringing together ancient wisdom to start you on your spiritual formation journey. This book is a must read!

I was a huge fan of JMC "Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" and jumped at the opportunity to read "Practicing the Way."
John Mark's using the basis of Jesus' teaching "FOLLOW ME" and gives us practical examples of how we can make that happen in small, realistic ways. This book is, above all, a call for Christians (or really anyone) to examine their life and ask what it is you are being formed by. Practicing the Way describes a lifestyle where one is, as Comer labels it, an “apprentice” to Jesus. Rather than your faith just being a statement you make professing your belief in order to get to heaven, apprenticeship to Jesus is a daily practice that deepens your relationship with God, resulting in a transformation by God’s love and peace into you becoming a more loving and peaceful person.

In Practicing the Way, JMC says, "Following Jesus always requires you to leave something behind."

As a wife and a mom of 8 children, I especially appreciated the reminder to start with small practices and accept the interruptions as an invitation to surrender control.

"I know some people who never miss a week of church, read through the entire Bible every year, and never watch R-rated movies (all good things) but who are still self-righteous, controlling, fueled by anger, blind to their own shadow, and, at times, incredibly unloving. And I know others who are in a season of just trying to survive parenting little kids and barely getting ten minutes a day to pray. But tired as they may be, they are becoming more loving with each passing year. Love is the metric to pay attention to."

This book is a timely word for the church and for culture right now. Everything about how it is bringing it back to the basics of what it means to follow Jesus and what a life actually looks like when following Him. I love how Comer writes very practically and answers questions about discipleship and does not ignore that we are humans but this is actually a life practice that does not become perfect over night. He gives a beautiful invitation on life with Jesus and all the benefits that come with that when we lay our lives down and follow him.

Comer brings following Jesus back to the basics, in a way that is simple yet extraordinary! As Western Christians we have done ourselves and culture a disservice for many years, but this book calls us back to the practice of truly following our Rabbi. I was challenged and encouraged all through this read and found myself incorporating the principles into my quiet time immediately. I have already ordered multiple copies of this book to share with friends and family and look forward to Practicing the Way in 2024 with my family and small group. This book is a 5-star, YES!

Okay, full disclosure—I was already a huge fan of JMC’s teachings before I read this book, so when I realized that Practicing the Way is a synthesis of John Mark Comer’s most powerful (for me) teachings regarding apprenticeship to Jesus and incorporating spiritual disciplines (i.e., a rule of life) into my life rhythm, I was thrilled. And (this is a big and) even though I was already very familiar with these teachings, my heart burned with conviction as I read through this book. Practicing the Way outlines a compelling definition of following Jesus that at its core cannot be compartmentalized—it’s a whole-body, whole-lifestyle way to live with eyes completely fixed on Jesus our Teacher, or as JMC fleshes out in this book, our Rabbi.

One section that convicted my soul early on is the distinction he makes between the two groups of people who were following Jesus: apprentices versus “the crowd.” He goes on to distinguish the two based on their listening patterns. Did his followers listen to his teachings like a devoted apprentice and choose to follow, obey, and put into practice the way of living that Jesus was modeling, or were they listening like “the crowd”—those who simply heard the words Jesus was saying and then went about their regular lives?

The different forms of listening can be explained with a cursory understanding of the Hebrew word shema. The shema is a well-worn prayer given to us by Moses and even now still murmured by devout Jews multiple times a day: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” (Deuteronomy 6:4 NLT). That word translated “listen” is shema, which means to listen and obey (or to put into action what was just heard). It’s two sides (listen and obey) to the same coin; you can’t have one without the other. “The crowd" was simply listening to Jesus’ words—as in the sound waves were vibrating their eardrums. But the apprentices of Jesus allowed those words to not only strike their eardrums but also pierce their hearts and compell them to put into action what Jesus was teaching and modeling.

I couldn’t help but wonder as I read, as a parent of three daughters, which category of follower am I modeling for my girls? Are Jesus’ teachings and way of life simply sets of compelling phrases that I pull out to ring in their ears at the appropriate time, or is Jesus’ way of living a rhythm I follow that cannot be extracted from who I am and compartmentalized into neat little bits of wisdom?

I realize this is a difficult standard for any follower of Jesus to truly embody, but this is why so many of JMC’s teachings resonate in my soul—because they come rooted in truth, expertly woven with supporting quotes from modern-day and ancient mystics alike, and delivered with grace and love: Go slow. Start with sabbath. If you fall down, as we all will, get back up and keep going. While your heart will burn with conviction while reading this book, do not be afraid. There is no pounding of pulpits, screams of fire and brimstone, or 20-step plan that sends your head into a sea of overwhelm. Instead, there is a guide that begins with what matters and why, leads to where to start, and finishes with ample encouragement to keep going when it looks messy or like failure—from a recovering control freak and perfectionist, these messages are balm to my soul and quiet to my very loud and articulate inner critic who is constantly pointing out my shortcomings.

For all the type-As reading this, I will warn you that this is only book one in a series—there’s more to come. You won’t find all the steps in this one book to answer all your questions and fill in all the gaps you encounter in this messy life we lead in a broken world. Instead you’ll find what you need for now—a focus for your spirit’s eyes and an encouragement to start. The rest will come later. What’s important is that you take this way of living off the “I’ll get to it later” shelf, and make it part of your life rhythm now. As apprentices of Jesus, this book is your invitation to “Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did.” What a compelling invitation—one that brings peace and fulfillment rather than anxiety and stress. The choice is yours: will you take time to better understand Jesus’ call to apprenticeship by reading this book? I hope you do.

Thank you NetGalley and Yates & Yates for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Once again, John Mark Comer freely pours out his wisdom onto his readers. His new book, Practicing the Way is full of practical ways to learn to be an apprentice to Jesus. This is no easy feat and his readers are reminded of this but John Mark shares why it is worth this cost. Readers will enjoy reading the value of Fasting, Prayer, Sabbath, and the importance of Community. Readers will also learn how to implement a Rule of Life and the secrets of being with Jesus. This book is full of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from numerous resources. This read is great for seminarians, laymen, and those seeking diligently after Christ.

Being an apprentice to Jesus...this book was both challenging and hopeful. Of course, it is "work" to live our lives as Jesus. It should be. So often, the feedback is that we're not doing it well or "right" or good enough. Throughout the time I read, I had a multitude of feelings. Ultimately, I felt as though I was given a place to start and very specific guidelines for how to move forward. "Start where you are not where you think you should be" is a terrific message. I appreciate the directness and compassion and understanding in this plan.

Practicing the Way is another great book from John Mark Comer, and I really enjoyed the flow and rhythm of his description of how we can become apprentices to Jesus. Comer writes, "Apprenticeship to Jesus—that is, following Jesus—is a whole-life process of being with Jesus for the purpose of becoming like him and carrying on his work in the world. It’s a lifelong journey in which we gradually learn to say and do the kinds of things Jesus said and did as we apprentice under him in every facet of our lives." A lifelong journey. A gradual process. A whole-life process of being with Jesus. These words reflect the foundation of this book. Following after Jesus is more than just an intellectual conclusion you come up with after study of the bible, or an emotional decision with claims of being "born again" or a "christian'. Truly apprenticing or following Jesus is a way of life, with a depth and substance within it that defies human understanding. Comer gives so many wonderful examples and descriptions of ways to seek transformation in your walk with Jesus, and he takes great effort to gently and humbly guide the readers to the ONE who is the source of all goodness, power, and wisdom. I highly recommend this book to all, as the content will give light to the source of love, Jesus Christ.
Thank you to Waterbrook/Multnomah and NetGalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Practicing the Way is a great starter pack in both (i) the encouragement to begin practicing the spiritual disciplines and (ii) a How To guide for the disciplines. Comer, in love, calls us to action.

"I'm convinced we prefer insight to change . . . or we thing insight and 'getting to the root' is the change . . . and we settle at insight because it is exciting and easy, when change is slow and hard." I believe this quote is from the Rule of Life podcast. Comer leans into this in the book. Do not settle at insight. Do not settle for just a quiet time. There is so much depth, and life, and love yet to be found in apprenticeship to Jesus if we structure our life in ways that open ourselves up to Him. By doing what He did.

As always, John Mark Comer is a smooth author, giving the audience an easy-to-read invitation live in deeper relationship with Jesus.

I will be posting my review on 1/9/24

Emphasizing a Rule of Life inspired by early Christian disciples, this guide offers practical wisdom to adopt transformative practices, inviting readers to slow down, create space for God, and walk the Way of Jesus. A blend of cultural insight, theological depth, and practical advice shapes this journey toward becoming Christ-like."

I’ve read many books on spiritual formation (it’s my primary focus for the doctoral degree I’m working on), and this is by far the most practical and perceptive guide to building a Rule of Life. It’s laid out in a simple, streamlined explanation—be with Jesus, become like Him, do as He did—that is both convicting and encouraging. If you’ve been a Christian and struggled to understand what discipleship truly means (heck, even if you think you know what discipleship means), creating a Rule of Life will help you build soul care practices that offer structure and guidance on how to live like Jesus. You will be grateful you read this book. You will be changed if you begin this authentic path to Christlike formation. This book is for everybody.

Thank you @WaterbrookMultnomah @NetGalley @YatesandYates for the gifted ARCs 🥰 All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Perfect for you if you like:
Developing spiritual habits
Authentic discipleship to Jesus
Counter-cultural approach to ‘surrender’

Similar to:
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
The Common Rule by Justin Whittle Earley
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship by Peter Scazzero

I had the chance to read this book before it was released. Thanks to Practicing the Way and WaterBrook and Multnomah for supplying it!

When I encountered the idea that "discipleship" in Christian lingo is about "Being with Jesus, Becoming like Jesus, and Doing what Jesus did;" something CLICKED. I have never heard it explained that way before, and suddenly I am thinking about my faith in a new way that changes how I experience God and how I work out my faith in the real world.

This book takes the concept and clearly outlines it in a way that is compelling. If you are ready to dive in and discover what it means to be an Apprentice to Jesus, don't wait. The information in this book (which is really just based on the person of Jesus!), has the power to shape the trajectory of your life!

Thank you John Mark for helping me care about spiritual formation for both myself and others in a fresh way!

This book is a clear invitation to follow in the way of Jesus as an apprentice. John Mark Comer clears away several misconceptions of how the modern western culture has been taught to follow Jesus and offers a pathway to rediscover Jesus as our Rabbi and devote ourselves to following him. He invites us to follow the Rabbinic tradition of being called, being with, learning from and going out to spread the knowledge of our Rabbi Jesus. Comer presents challenging insights into spiritual development in our modern age with our myriad distractions. He shows us practical ways to go from passive spiritual development by our culture to actively pursing spiritual development by the loving power of the Trinity. Comer challenges the western emphasis of salvation as from the punishment of our sins primarily. While this is true and wonderful, there is so much more to the salvation found in Jesus while we are living. Jesus invites us to be healed and transformed in this life, to become more like him, marked by our love for one another, not just whether or not we follow certain commands. This healing and transformation is done by us and to us – it is a cooperative process. Instead of life being a long slog of denying ourselves for a future reward, we have an opportunity to participate in the adventure of our healing and growth to be more like Jesus in this life AND enjoying a future reward.
Comer challenges us to develop a Rule of Life. Not rules to live by, but instead Rule as in a plan, a set of practices, that will keep us from being sucked into the entropy of life’s distractions. Very clear, very practical, he describes nine core practices that will help any apprentice to Jesus create rhythms to create a spiritually fruitful life. Comer closes the book by pointing the readers to free resources to develop their own set of spiritual practices to live a life of joy, peace and freedom in the Way of Jesus.

“The Way of Jesus is not just a theology (a set of ideas that we believe in our heads). It is that, but it’s more.
And it’s not just ethics (a list of dos and don’ts that we obey or disobey). It is that, but it’s still more.
It’s exactly what it sounds like—a way of life.”

Reading John Mark Comer’s books is always an active experience of thinking, reflecting, and chewing on them (though not at all in the same way my one-year-old chews on books…), and reading this book was no different. The timing of this book release in January is perfect because so much of what is said could greatly help with filtering goals for the new year through the lens of how what you’re doing with your life is helping you to walk in the Way of Jesus. I’m looking forward to pondering Comer’s words for a while!

Thank you to Waterbrook & Multnomah for this ARC. If you’ve read or followed John Mark Comer for any length of time, this book will once again leave you with a desire to deepen your walk with God. This will be a book I revisit often. JMC has taken these spiritual disciplines that I grew up viewing as rigid and legalistic, and explained them in a way that brings forward so much freedom and life into them. This book reframes the meaning of apprenticeship, crafting your own Rule of Life, and is a must read for spiritual formation.